FCC pushing Dish for details of their cellular buildout.

[rad]

From FCC presses Dish Network on wireless buildout delays - DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH) | Seeking Alpha

A letter from the FCC shows that Dish Network (DISH -2.1%) has missed milestone deadlines to build out a network based on a hoard of wireless spectrum, and as a result will face sooner deadlines to have the system ready.

Missing interim deadlines last year on the company's AWS-4 licenses and 700 MHz Lower E Block licenses means Dish will now need to offer signal coverage and service to 70% of the population of each license's service area (or 70% of the geographic area in the 700 MHz licenses' case) by March 7, 2020.

Then in May, Dish said it hadn't met interim deadlines for buildout of H Block licenses; its final construction deadline on those was accelerated by two years, to April 29, 2022.

 

[dare2be]

70% of the population of each license's service area (or 70% of the geographic area in the 700 MHz licenses' case) by March 7, 2020.

Someone had a fixation on 7's

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I believe the issue here is 5G. DISH is trying to wait for a real 5G Chipset, as they dont want to rollout with 4G and then a year later upgrade to 5G at a huge costs.

I have heard that they already have tower lease agreements in place over a good portion of the country and are paying for having empty cages.

If this is true, the question is how much longer can they wait, and looking at what they just got from the FCC that answer maybe not for much longer.

 

[rad]

I guess you can always use the delaying because there is something better coming down the line excuse. Was 5G on the radar when Dish agreed to all the buildout dates years ago?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Are any of the other carriers actively deploying 5G installations? Are they being pressed for details by the FCC?

 

[Bruce]

I believe the issue here is 5G. DISH is trying to wait for a real 5G Chipset, as they dont want to rollout with 4G and then a year later upgrade to 5G at a huge costs.

I thought the Snapdragon X50 chipset (Qualcomm Technologies) was real 5G,

 

[nelson61]

If they think they are going to sweep the rural areas, they have some tough competition coming.

The low orbit satellite systems (low latency) are going to revolutionize internet, and maybe cell service in low population areas.

Several are working on it but SpaceX is the biggest with a planned 4400+ satellites for their first entry into the market.

 

[comfortably_numb]

If they think they are going to sweep the rural areas, they have some tough competition coming.

The low orbit satellite systems (low latency) are going to revolutionize internet, and maybe cell service in low population areas.

Several are working on it but SpaceX is the biggest with a planned 4400+ satellites for their first entry into the market.

I’ll believe it when I see it. Elon Musk can’t even deliver on the Teslas people have preordered

 

[nelson61]

Don't get Telsa confused with their space business.

They are closing in on a near lock up of satellite launches with launch prices 1/3 of the completion.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Don't get Telsa confused with their space business.

They are closing in on a near lock up of satellite launches with launch prices 1/3 of the completion.

Like I said, I’ll believe it when I see it

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Didn't Staff Member Ilya get his new Tesla 3 last week?

 

[dare2be]

Like I said, I’ll believe it when I see it

I see this LEO satellite system as a logistical and security nightmare.

 

[bobvick]

If they think they are going to sweep the rural areas, they have some tough competition coming.

The low orbit satellite systems (low latency) are going to revolutionize internet, and maybe cell service in low population areas.

Several are working on it but SpaceX is the biggest with a planned 4400+ satellites for their first entry into the market.

They’ve been promising LEO based satellite internet for years and years. If I remember Microsoft and someone else was involved in an ill-fated LEO satellite constellation in the early 2000’s that never came to fruition.

 

[Cheddar_Head]

Talk to the Iridium guys about the expense and complex nature of maintaining an LEO constellation providing continuous coverage over the entire earth's surface.

Iridium satellite constellation - Wikipedia

 

[Pere845]

I’m calling it, this low orbit satellite tech is gonna fall way short of expectations maybe even fail...

 

[Tampa8]

I’m calling it, this low orbit satellite tech is gonna fall way short of expectations maybe even fail...

I have nothing on my own to know enough about it. From reading up it isn't a foregone conclusion it will work well or as designed.

 

[FLEABttn]

Are any of the other carriers actively deploying 5G installations? Are they being pressed for details by the FCC?

In an anything beyond testing sense, no, but other carriers are actually building out and using the spectrum they purchased unlike Dish. The conditions of the purchase were on Dish setting up and monetizing a network - not that they had to build a 5G network. That they're under 2 years away from a required 70% build out and are still at 0% demonstrates how not serious their publicly stated plans were.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Reminds me of the days when I was selling Dish DVR’s without a promotion.

All the time I would hear from customers I’m waiting for the 921 to come out.

Then when we had the 921’s it was I’m waiting for the 942, 622, 722 and the 722K.

If you keep on waiting, you’ll never get anything.

I totally get Dish would want a 5G roll out, but there is nothing wrong with 4G at the moment.

First of all nobody has a 5G capable phone to work 100% on a 5G Network.

Second of all, Dish needs to shift to being an internet provider.

The lack of offering customers a true bundle is not only hurting retention, but many potential customers won’t sign up if internet service is not offered.

Granted Dish partners with frontier, windstream and others, it’s not the same as offering their own Dish Branded internet service.

Dish had the opportunity several years ago when they acquired blockbuster. What a wonderful opportunity where they had storefronts in in every major city. Perfect place to open Dish service centers and roll out cellular.

I think even if Dish tries to do anything, AT&T will outspend turn and try to make things as difficult as possible to roll out

 

[bobvick]

I think even if Dish tries to do anything, AT&T will outspend turn and try to make things as difficult as possible to roll out

Not saying AT&T won’t try to outspend Dish, but they are going to have to start watching their debt load. They have over $180 billion in debt after the Time Warner deal, and their bonds have been downgraded by Moody’s. Of course Dish also has quite a bit of debt as well. Just saying AT&T can’t keep on and keep on spending into oblivion.

 

[rad]

Here's a CNBC story about Dish and their cellular dreams, Dish chairman Charlie Ergen is running out of time on his $20 billion bet